Places in Her Heart
by ladeedahdum
Summary: Olivia's life is changing rapidly. Now, she's married to the man of her dreams, planning to adopt, becoming a Captain, and strengthening relationships in every area of her life. How will she deal with Elliot dating her sister-in-law? And what's it going to be like to be a superior to her friends?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to Places in Her Heart, my new story! If you haven't read The Art of New Relationships (this is the sequel), you by no means have to read it to understand this story, although it would help this make a lot more sense. **

**Here's where this story takes place.**

**Olivia and her husband Leon are 46 years old. Olivia will be taking Cragen's place soon, and she'll use her new lighter caseload to think about adopting a child with Leon, who she is very much in love with. Nick and Olivia get closer and closer every day (as partners, although you can be expecting N/O one-shots from me very soon!) and Olivia has become a mother figure to Zara after Maria walked out on them. Elliot has returned and is on good terms with Olivia, and might even start to date Leon's sister, Meredith. I think that's it. **

**Please enjoy this short first chapter!**

"Something like Olivia..."

Olivia was disrupted from her typing by Nick's atrocious singing voice. "John Mayer, Amaro? God, and I thought you were straight. I must be a terrible detective."

Nick just shook his head and started to laugh at her antics. He had noticed a shift in Olivia through the three months that she had been married, but whatever it was, he found solace in the fact that she was finally happy. He remembered their wedding night. He had watched them, singing, dancing, drinking. He thought about how happy they were and how he wished he would find the same thing... and what Olivia and his best friend would be doing that night-

"No comeback, Amaro? Losing your touch?" Olivia snapped Nick out of his thoughts, twisting her wedding ring on her finger and laughing.

"Uh... Zara likes him. We have a small apartment and she has loud speakers, what can I say?"

"Uh huh. Yeah. Sure, Nick." She gave him her signature shit eating grin and pushed her keyboard in.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I have a doctor's appointment in a half hour over at the Mercy offices."

Nick furled his eyebrows. "Something wrong?"

She smirked, "It's just an annual."

"What's that?"

"Oh, just the one lovely day every year where doctors are free to stick any object they want in my vagina and take notes."

Nick blushed and laughed. "You have a vagina?"

Olivia laughed, hearing Munch and Fin grumbling uncomfortably in the background.

"I've heard about your lack of genitalia, but luckily, I don't have that problem." Olivia laughed and snorted at her own joke, grabbing her purse and wandering over to a disgusted Fin's desk.

"Man, baby girl, you must be getting laid, cause you've got an awfully sexual sense of humor nowadays."

Olivia sat on Fin's desk and smacked him on the back of the head. "I'm married!"

Fin just gagged, earning a laugh from Munch. "Young Odafin didn't pass sex education back in grade school," he explained to Olivia with a smile. "Just remember, son, she'll be your superior in two months."

"Yes," Olivia beamed, "and Munch will be up in the brass watching your ass!"

Olivia and Munch high fived at her rhyme.

Cragen's door shut and he cleared his throat before addressing the office. "Hey, what's the commotion out here?"

"Oh, Captain, I was just causing a ruckus before I leave." Olivia stood up clutching her purse, ready to go.

"Leave?"

"Yeah, that appointment I told you about."

Munch cleared his throat and spoke before anyone could stop him. "She has to go get various non-penile objects stuck in her vagina by a medical professional. Why we pay those insurance companies so much is an anomaly."

Olivia blushed bright red and stammered, giving Munch the death glare. "I think what John means is that I have a gynecologist's appointment."

Cragen furled his brows. "Are you alright?"

Olivia stomped her foot in mock frustration. "Yes!"

"Hey, none of us live with women, cut us some slack!" Fin piped up from the corner of the room.

"Yeah, why I chose a male dominated field is the real anomaly here." Olivia smirked. "Can I go?"

"Of course you can, Sergeant Bens- Collins. Think- Captain Collins- has a good ring to it, doesn't it?"

"I think the ring you're hearing is the sound of that nice cabin you're going to while we stay here and live out the rest of our lives solving sex crimes," Munch corrected, earning a warning glare and a smile from Cragen.

Olivia turned on her heels and began to move out. "I'm leaving, on that note. Bye guys, have a nice life. Go meet some nice women, will you?"

"I didn't think you approved of strip clubs, Liv!" Munch teased.

Olivia stopped at Amaro's desk and picked up a ball of paper, throwing it at Munch. She missed.

"Man, even her throw's softened since she got married."

Not bothering to give a retort, she laughed and walked out of the precinct with a warm feeling that was very new to her. She walked past the photo of her and Leon at their wedding sitting on her desk and thought about her new life.

[][][][]

8 p.m.

"Hey, Le, I'm home." Olivia set her purse on the counter and looked into the dark living room where Leon was reclining with a beer, obviously tired after work.

"Hey baby," Leon stood and walked over to give Olivia a soft kiss, "what took you so long?"

"There was a two hour delay for some reason at the doctor." She rubbed Leon's back and then patted it, letting go. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah, there was really good food at the aviation conference, I brought some home for you."

"How'd you get extra, wasn't it one of those stuffy dinner things?"

"Eh, the guy next to me snuck off with a female aviator before dinner. Didn't want to waste the food, and I figured I'd have a very hungry wife waiting at home."

Olivia snorted again in laughter at his antics. "You ripped off the conference to feed me?"

"That's how much I love you, mmmmbaby." Leon teased in a fake sexy voice and lightly pulled her in by the waist, kissing her. "I'll put it in the oven, grab a beer, take the load off."

She smiled at how he still loved to take care of her. "Okay, sounds good to me." She did as instructed, feeling the stress melt away.

"So, how did your appointment go?" Leon questioned from the kitchen.

"Eh, you know. My periods have been so fucked up lately now that I'm getting later into menopause, but there's nothing I can really do about it. But apparently I'm having anovulatory cycles, whatever the hell that means."

"Your body shut down the baby making machine," Leon grinned, loving that he could explain something scientific to Olivia.

She sighed. "Unfortunately."

Leon furled his brows in concern. "Liv?"

"I know... we weren't planning on it anyway. But I guess... I'm so happy with you, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that you had knocked me up sometime." Olivia smiled down at her feet, making Leon laugh.

"Sorry I was so responsible."

"I know, damn you."

Leon laughed. "You know, we haven't really had a chance to pursue our other plans yet."

Olivia paused, lost in thought. "What, adoption?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I wholeheartedly think we should look into it. Can you wait two more months? Because technically I'm still a detective," Olivia smiled.

Leon paused, stirring something on the stove. He responded honestly without looking up. "I'd wait a million years to give you everything you ever wanted if that's what it took." He smiled softly at her, peeking behind his shoulder.

"How did I get so lucky?" Olivia asked in the same soft tone.

"I ask myself that every day, my Livvy."

Olivia smiled and rested her hands on her stomach, kicking her feet up onto the chair opposite the one she sat in at the table. She smiled at Leon while his back was still turned and sipped her beer. Her gentle reflections on the events of the past year and a half were broken by her phone ringing.

"Who is it?"

Olivia pulled her phone out of her back pocket, looked at the caller ID, and laughed. "Your sister's suitor."

"Oh god," Leon shook his head and laughed. "Take it, I secretly want to know how it went."

She laughed and slid her finger across the bottom of the phone to take the call. She flipped her hair gently and put the phone to her ear from her shoulder. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Liv, what's up?"_

"Not much, what about you?"

"_Nothing really. Just wanted to, you know, talk to you."_

"About what, Investigator Stabler?"

"_Take a wild guess."_

"It's okay Elliot, you can spill your guts about your date and how much you love Meredith Collins." Olivia smiled, still looking at Leon with loving eyes.

"_I need your advice, but I need you to keep it... quiet."_

"Sure, what's up?"

Elliot cleared his throat. Olivia smirked at how awkward he was when breaching the subject of dating. _"I think I did it... too early."_

"I think they make pills for that," Olivia teased, thoroughly amused at her own humor.

"_Oh please, you know what I mean."_

"I really don't. Dead serious. What are you talking about?" Olivia peered at her nails and furled her brows, waiting for an explanation.

"_I... I had sex with her," _Elliot said it fast to get it over with.

Olivia laughed. "On the first date?" Leon's eyes widened and he whipped his head around, but she waved him off. Ignoring her, he brought her the plate of food and sat beside her with his beer.

"_Yeah."_

"Were you drunk?"

"_No."_

"High?"

"_No!"_

Olivia smirked. "That's pretty fucked up, Elliot! No pun intended!"

"_Are you smiling right now or are you pissed?"_

"Of course I'm smiling!"

"_Yeah, I know, for a minute there I thought you were pretending that you and Leon actually followed the first date rule."_

She smiled widely, remembering the night. "No, actually, Leon and I didn't have sex until the third date."

"Olivia!" Leon widened his eyes at her, although he was still wearing a grin. She smirked back at him and placed her hand strategically on his upper thigh, giving him a devilish stare.

"_Number 325 on the list of things I didn't want to know."_

She grinned and got to the facts. "So, did she stay until morning?" Leon shook his head uncomfortably, Olivia keeping her hand on him suggestively because she knew it was the only thing keeping him there.

"_Yeah. But, Liv, really, what do I do?"_

"Well, are you still interested in dating her?"

"_Of course I am."_

"Then what's the problem? Just ask her out again."

"_But didn't I break, like, every rule?"_

"No. Come on, cut yourself some slack, you're 48 and probably haven't gotten laid in months."

"_Olivia... I can see your stupid smirk."_

"Go do it. You obviously have some balls if you had sex last night, use them."

"_God, Liv."_

Olivia laughed at how embarrassed she could make him. "Keep me updated."

"_Alright. And please don't run off and tell your husband that I screwed his sister."_

"Oh, he's sitting right next to me."

"_Olivia!"_

"Bye!" She giggled to herself like a little girl and hung up the phone, leaning into Leon as she fell into a fit.

"So, your partner banged my sister on the first date?"

"Yep, sounds like it," Olivia smirked in reply.

"Well, so much for that working out," Leon sighed, stealing a green bean off of Olivia's plate.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, Collins? You screwed me after three hours over three dates."

Leon smiled at her and patted the sauce around her mouth with a napkin. "And I thoroughly enjoyed it."

She chuckled and leaned back into him. "All's well that ends well."

He leaned down and kissed her softly, cupping her face in his rough hands.

"We're nowhere close to ending this story, my love."

**I hope you like where this is going! As always, I'm open to suggestions! Please comment if you've got something to say!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the delay, but I've been very busy!**

**I'm not sure where I'm going with this one, but I wanted to update. So, here you go.**

"I feel so close to you right now, it's a force field- No pun intended!" A goofy singing voice echoed from the main room of Leon's apartment while he worked on some magnetic contraption. "Come on, Livvy love, you've been sleeping far too long!"

"Ughh..." Olivia tossed in the sheets, trying to deny that the room was lit with sunlight... and her husband was about to... _wait for it... wait for it..._

"Liiiiivvvy Livvy Livvy Livvy... Liv Liv Liv Liv!" Leon came marching in, banging some of his various tools together and chanting her name to the beat. He was wearing goggles just because he knew Olivia thought it was the most dorky thing on earth.

"Ughhh..."

"Come on, Livvy, big day ahead!" Leon dropped his tools and flopped onto the bed forcefully next to her, shaking her while she giggled.

"I've still got to go into work... What time is it?

"Oh, you know, just ten, sleepyhe-"

"WHAT? Why didn't you-"

"I did!" Leon smirked, watching her jump up from bed and scatter around the footboard.

"Hey, woah now, are you forgetting something?" Leon puckered his lips and smiled. While she gently slapped his cheek at first, she didn't pull her hand away, returning the kiss.

[][][][]

Olivia walked breathlessly into the precinct a little after ten, sharing greetings with the other detectives as she neared her desk.

"Hey, Liv," Nick greeted.

"Hey, Nick," Olivia smiled back and sat down at her desk.

"Are you ready for your meeting?"

"Wh- oh, that meeting?"

Nick blew a raspberry in astonishment. "Oh, yeah, just that little meeting that determines whether or not you're qualified to take Cragen's spot."

"I already passed the exam, relax, rookie!" Olivia smiled and punched Nick in the shoulder, knowing he hated that name.

"You know, interviews can be really make or break in this trade."

Olivia smirked cockily. "Well, you know, Amaro, when you learn to ooze professionality like me, all of those worries will go away." She smiled and returned to her work, not expecting a response.

Nick cleared his throat, armed with a comeback. "You might want to adjust your shirt to the right, Mrs. Professional."

She furled her brows. "What are you-" Searching her neckline, she finally saw it. She let out an audible gasp before looking up, beet red, to make sure nobody had heard.

"I didn't know your dork of a husband knew how to give hickeys."

Olivia flushed even more red and shushed Nick, thinking she had seen some wandering eyes.

"Don't worry, Liv, I don't expect female detectives to reproduce asexually."

"God, you sound just like-"

"That's the point. Didn't you hear the tone? I've got a damn good Leon impression." Nick kept giving her his shit eating grin while her face struggled to return to a normal color. Frantically, she knocked open her middle desk drawer and found a near empty bottle of coverup.

"Here." She peeked around to make sure nobody was watching, and then she lowered her neckline slightly to attempt to cover the dark spot up. "Cover for me?"

Nick cleared his throat again, this time in warning. "Too late."

"Sergeant Collins?"

Her face was hot as she turned to face Cragen, who as she could see, was trying his hardest to stifle a smile. Eventually he failed.

"Sorry, Cap, I-"

"Liv, I really don't want to know," he said, smiling, but then got serious. "I needed to tell you that your meeting with the board was moved to six tonight instead of three as we had planned."

Olivia's eyes widened. "Uh..."

He furled his brows. "Is that a problem?"

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, a little."

"What do you have going on?"

_I haven't told him, have I? _"Er... Leon and I already had plans..."

"I'm sure your dear Leon would be more than happy to move date night to another night," Cragen commented, making Nick smirk.

"Oh, it's not date night."

"Like I said, Sergeant, I really don't want to know." At this, the surrounding men all bursted out in laughter, and Olivia blushed, realizing that they had been listening.

"Cap, uh... do you mind if I talk to you in private?"

Cragen checked his watch. "I've got a meeting with a transfer down the hall in two minutes. Why, is something bothering you?"

"No, it's just- I really can't do the meeting at six, we've had something planned for weeks now and it's kind of important."

"Well, it better be pretty damn important."

"It is."

Munch piped up from the corner. "Care to share, Sergeant?"

"Not really. Look, Cap, I'll walk you to your meeting."

"I'm not elderly yet, you damn girl scout," Cragen said, loving that she was flushing in front of all the men.

"You know what, walk." Olivia nudged him down the hallway, half amused, half utterly embarrassed. "Is there any way we can move the meeting?"

"If it's important enough, but you see, I kind of need to know what the occasion would be..."

Olivia sighed. "Cap... Leon and I weren't planning on telling anybody until the plans are final... but we're meeting with an adoption agent tonight."

Cragen stopped walking and faced Olivia. There was a short pause as his face lit up. "Really?"

She couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah."

All the love that Cragen had showed on her wedding night came flooding back as he wrapped her in a strong, unexpected embrace. Olivia awkwardly accepted it, just like a daughter would from any proud father. Finally, he patted her back and shared a silent message before walking into the conference room. Smiling, she walked back into the squad room with a slight pep in her step. It didn't go unnoticed.

"So, Liv..."

"Yeah, Liv."

"Liv?"

All three of the men immediately swarmed her for information.

"Don't worry about it."

"You do know you are in a room full of detectives, right?" Fin questioned with his usual annoyed face.

"Yes, but I'll be your captain soon!" Olivia laughed as Fin sat back down, dejected. She gave Munch a special high five of shared seniority before walking out of the room to continue with her work.

[][][][]

"You look beautiful, as always." Leon sat on their bed, straightening his tie as Olivia walked out of the bathroom. He caught her eye and they both felt a surge of pure love... and anxiety. "I don't tell you I love you enough, do I?"

Olivia smiled and sat down beside him to give him a kiss. "You tell me you love me every day, Leon." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you a lot more than a daily little utterance. Do you know that?"

She laughed at his terminology.

"I'm serious!"

She kissed him lightly. "I know you are. I just love the way... I love the way you are sometimes."

"Sometimes?" He questioned, pulling back to look her sassily in the eyes.

"Yeah, probably about 90% of the time."

Leon gave a fake pout as Olivia continued to laugh. As the two began to relax, Leon noticed her biting her bottom lip- her nervous habit.

"Are you nervous, sweetheart?"

"A little. Why, are you?"

"No."

Olivia smacked him gently and smiled.

"What was that for?" He feigned hurt and looked down into her eyes.

"You know, that's when you were supposed to say, 'of course I'm nervous, baby, but they're going to love us!'" Olivia mocked his voice, earning a furl of the eyebrows.

"I think that goes without saying."

"What, a detective and a professor? Think, Leon... you know I've been turned down once before, are we crazy?"

Leon jumped to the rescue, seeing her confidence faltering. "Woah, woah, hey now, Liv." He rubbed her back gently. "Yeah, we're busy. We don't get paid a ton. But what the hell does that matter? I've never seen a couple as happy as we are."

"You are quite biased," Olivia pointed out, resting her head in his lap with a sigh.

"Screw bias, Olivia, I'm pretty sure nobody has ever loved a woman like I love you. And I know that that's going to be quite obvious to whoever we talk to tonight, I don't care what kind of pole they have up their ass... because I know I have it written all over my dorky face every time I'm around you," Leon smiled at his admittance, and Olivia just kept looking up at him. Finally, she extended an arm up and pinched his cheek, making his head wave left and right as he looked down at her warmly.

"Your face isn't dorky."

"Yes, it is."

"Okay, maybe," Olivia laughed, making Leon blush a little. "But I wouldn't have you any other way, my sweet Leon."

**Short, I know, but I hope you liked it! I thought it was cute. I'm not going to write a detailed scene about how the interview goes. It'll just be implied in the next chapter. What do you guys want to happen? This has no official plot yet, so it can be all up to you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Short little update. I'm completely lost in terms of plot. I really need your help. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.**

**In the meantime, here's a little letter from Leon to Olivia. I got the idea from that politician that writes letters to his wife every morning. I think it's really cute, so some of my posts might be these from now on.**

My sweet Olivia,

I'm so proud that you got promoted, but it also makes me sad because now you get to sleep in while I get up early to get ready for work. I really didn't want to wake you. You looked at peace, and I know that you haven't gotten that a lot lately.

Have I ever told you how much I love you? I remember the first night I got up the nerve to plant one on you. Do you? We had just eaten at that shitty Italian place over by Nick's apartment. I'll never forget the first moment I saw you (and I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't think of any other way to put it down). I was so nervous, and all I saw was this tall, mysterious woman in front of me. My knees were pretty close to buckling when you hugged me. I remember it because I was worrying that you would feel me shaking!

I was so terribly awkward and I had just gotten smacked in the head with that first date love frenzy, and I didn't know what to do. So I just looked down at you and decided to kiss you. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when you started kissing me back. That was kind of the best kiss of my life.

You know, I never admitted it, but I called my mom that night when I got home (I know, I know). I told her that I had met my wife. You should've heard her scream- especially when I told her I had snagged a cop.

Not only are you a cop, but you are a damn good one. You are also the most dedicated and strong woman I have ever had the pleasure to know. And marry. Although I had never... you know what, you get me. I can't wait to see what the rest of our lives will bring us.

I am so thankful for you.

Love, Leon

P.S.- On a non-emotional, logistical note (sorry to ruin it), Karen, the adoption agent, called my cell this morning. We're one step closer to being a family! Although I'm not really sure what she meant by that... you know, this is why I need you to handle professional matters.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is from a suggestion. I feel like the story has been all happy, happy. But guess what? That's not reality. Mwahaha. I hope you all like. I have some good chapters coming up, including a weekend retreat with the Collins family (with Meredith, Elliot's new lover!) and more adoption news. And a warning- this might be slightly sexual in the beginning/end. Again, wherever my mind takes me, I will go.**

"You know, you really don't have to go through all this trouble to get laid, Leon," Olivia smirked as he gently guided her into the bathroom by the small of her back. The room was completely dark besides a couple of candles on the corner of the tub and the natural moonlight that streamed in from a small, shaded window.

Leon just laughed at her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "That wasn't my primary motive." He started to rub her shoulders and she rolled her head back, moaning softly. "You've been having a tough week, you know?" He looked down at her, even though her eyes were closed with pleasure.

"Mmm..." Olivia groaned, "I do know." She opened her eyes and craned her neck up for a light kiss.

"Besides..." He continued, moving his hands to her sides and rubbing up and down slowly, nearly reaching her breasts, "this could be one of our last months together alone... without a little one peeking in our bedroom, hmm?"

She smiled, realizing how true that could be. "I still want to have sex with you once the kiddo gets here, you know."

"Oh, I know," he responded, "but we might not be able to drop everything and screw each other senseless like you seem to want to do a lot lately."

Olivia smacked him playfully on the chest, turning to face him, still wrapped in his arms. "We got married late... take advantage of my raging hormones before we both run out of them."

Leon groaned in fake disappointment. "Stop lolligagging, Benson, you know you've been asking for me to jump you since you walked in the door."

"Really?" She kissed him and suggestively pawed at his rear. "Because I didn't verbalize that I wanted sex once tonight."

"Don't pretend that you don't know what you were doing back in there."

She laughed. "Don't pretend that it didn't work."

The two continued in their playful manner, moving to sit on the edge of the tub. Before it got too heavy though, Leon had something on his mind.

"Wait..."

Olivia backed up from him a little, concerned. "Something wrong?"

"No," he chuckled, "I just need you to know that... I never just have the goal of screwing you, you know? I love being with you, Liv. Not just sexually," he added with a smirk. "You're my life now. You and the kiddo on the way. I don't kn-"

He was cut off by Olivia's full hand awkwardly pressed to his mouth. "Leon, baby, I know."

Leon smirked. "Sorry, I just-"

"Don't. I'm not getting any younger over here," she smiled.

He took the memo and kissed her, stealing all of her oxygen away. Secretly, Olivia wondered what he would've said if she would've let him ramble.

[][][][]

7 a.m.

Olivia walked into the squad room at her normal time, with her normal cup of coffee, with her normal rhythm in her step. She took the same hall to the same squad room and sat next to the same people. And she started the same paperwork. _Enjoy the pattern, Liv, it's all going to change pretty soon, _she thought to herself. Her eyes caught the photo of her and Leon at their wedding that sat to the right of her computer monitor. He'd be one thing that would never change in her life. _Don't get all symbolic and shit, Benson. _She started laughing at herself quietly.

A sudden, loud male voice popped her out of her thoughts. "Having fun over there?" Amaro peeked his head over his computer monitor to Olivia.

"Jesus Christ, Nick... uh.. I didn't see you there."

"Maybe it _is _time for you to leave the field."

Olivia gave a fake whimper of hurt. "Your words cut deep, Amaro."

"You make comebacks like my eleven year old daughter."

Deciding not to continue the banter, Olivia followed another train of thought. "How is Zara? I haven't talked to her since my honeymoon."

Amaro laughed at the irony. "Yeah, only you would take a call on your honeymoon for my daughter. How long ago was that?"

"Leon and I were married a little over nine months ago."

"Oh, so it wasn't a shotgun wedding after all? I had my doubts."

She snapped back immediately. "You suck. And to think I was actually trying to carry on a sincere conversation about your family life."

"Hey, easy, Liv, I've only got two weeks more of being able to verbally abuse you like this. Don't deny me the right just yet."

She smiled, shook her head, and laughed. "Only you, Amaro."

There was a moment of sincere silence. _Only two more weeks. _

He gave one of his sentimental smiles and rocked in his chair. "You're a good partner, you know that? I know you told me that when you were still dating that douche, but I never really told you back."

Olivia laughed and looked down before looking him back in the eye.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that it was so sincere and touching until you used the word 'douche'."

"He was a douche."

"Eh, he was alright. More of a physical release than an emotional one-"

"Woah, hey, I don't want to know about that," he said, flushing.

She blushed, realizing how far she had let the normal everyday greeting digress. "Sorry, I guess Leon's rubbing on me a lot lately. I mean... shit... rubbing _off_ on me." She cleared her throat nervously, finding that her current thoughts were blurring with her memories of last night.

Nick laughed, blushed fifty shades of red, and shook his head. "I have no words."

An active blotter alert popped up on their computer screens, assigned to Manhattan SVU.

Nick groaned and fumbled for his reading glasses. "What does that say?"

Olivia squinted at the small, typewriter font. "Active shooter, shit."

This was a rarity, and it seemed like the whole squad room was struck with terror. The last time this alert went out was when Elliot had to shoot Jenna.

Cragen's door swung open and he began shouting orders. "Nick, Olivia, Fin, Munch, you need to respond to the active situation. Vests, helmets, shields, everything. SWAT's going to meet us there and take the lead, but we're following close behind them."

"Got it." The detectives eyed each other, nodded, and put on all their gear from their desks.

[][][][]

"Manhattan SVU portable responding, ETA two minutes," Olivia shouted into the radio, fighting with the wailing siren of the squad car. Fin was driving, and the car swerved in and out of traffic, causing the detectives to smash against each other. But this was no time for joking.

"Shit, I haven't seen a station-wide alert like this since..." Cragen's voice faded. He hoped the situation wouldn't turn out the same way as it did the last time. Nobody did. He looked back at Olivia, sharing a quick glance of fear before they both rushed to mask it. They pulled up to a chaotic scene as it was just being taped off. Rushing under, they met up with the SWAT unit.

"What do we have?"

"Hostage situation in progress. One of the teachers has drawn a gun on her class."

"And?"

"That's all we know."

Cragen grumbled in frustration. "How the fuck is that all we know?"

"We've been asking ourselves the same thing. We put a sniper on the roof but the blinds are closed. There are no entry points but the door and the third floor window."

"How old?" Olivia asked, concerned.

"Third graders."

Olivia winced. That's the age group that she and Leon were looking to adopt from. This was going to be a tough one to work.

"There are seventeen children in the room and a teacher's assistant," the SWAT captain informed them. "We've got to move as fast as possible."

"We'll follow your lead."

The same man drew his radio from his shoulder and said a couple of unintelligible commands before giving the universal signal, "move in."

At the front of the pack, two sturdy men had already busted the door down and were pushing in, shouting down the hallway. Sharing glances and drawing their guns, the detectives followed the armored men through the school, up the stairs, and down a hallway.

"Mrs. Mayfield, NYPD."

"Open the door and I'll shoot them all!"

The men and detectives shared frustrated glances. They had all been trained well, and a threat to kill the hostages meant that they wouldn't be making any progress for a while. There was very little room to take risks or be a hero in these situations.

"Listen to me," a grisly man bellowed in the front. "You're going to have to let them go."

"_She has bipolar disorder!" _An older female scream came from near the door, probably the TA.

"Shut up, bitch!" The teacher's voice neared the door, and the same voice that had screamed let out another. "I'll kill her! I've got a gun to her head, I'll fucking kill her if you don't just leave me alone!"

A couple of the leading men retreated to talk to the detectives at the end of the pack. "Look, we've got to bust in."

"What?" Olivia burst, angered. "Captain Phillips, with all due respect, there's a room full of third graders and an active shooter behind that door. She'll turn and shoot before your first man gets in there."

"Sergeant, we're going to have to take that risk. Hope for an Osama Bin Laden type stun raid."

Olivia was outraged. "Yeah, well until I see tridents on your men, there's no way in hell."

"Sergeant Benson!" Cragen leapt in before things got out of hand, almost going so far as to physically restrain her. "There are no other options."

She looked at him with bewilderment. "Yes there are."

A scream and a cry were heard from the classroom. "Get away from that door or I'll shoot through it!"

The crowd of officers pushed back quickly, following her demands.

"Enlighten me, Sergeant," the SWAT officer said through gritted teeth, lowering his voice.

"Let me try to talk her down."

"Sergeant..." The officer warned.

"I've done it before. I've trained for this."

"Nobody has trained for an encounter with this type of mental illness."

"Let.. me... try," she challenged. Staring at the SWAT captain, all other thoughts were erased from her mind.

"Look, ma'am, I don't want your emotions to-"

"Hey," Amaro piped up at the captain, causing him to shut his mouth. That card was dangerous territory, and he had learned the hard way.

Finally, Captain pushed his way back to the front of the group where Olivia and the captain were standing off.

He turned to Cragen. "Can you authorize this, Captain Cragen?"

Cragen swallowed deeply. "Phillips, can I have a moment with my detective?"

"Make it quick," he said, nodding his head and turning his attention back to the door where a few other officers were conversing.

"Captain, I can-"

"Olivia, I know you can. But let me just remind you... the last time one of our detectives took on this threat level, it wasn't pretty. And I _know _that you remember that."

Her throat cracked. "I know."

"Think about what you've got at stake here, Olivia," he added a little too loudly, hoping to scare her out of it, "You've got a man who would give you the world and a kid on the way-"

"If she's pregnant, you need to remove her immediately," a young officer in the front interjected.

"She's not," Cragen responded through his teeth, not caring that he had just released that information. Putting his hands on Olivia's shoulders, he tried to shake her out of it one last time. "You could lose everything right here."

"What other choices do we have?" Olivia considered, her voice breaking.

"We risk it."

"Captain, we can't risk those kids."

Cragen swallowed again, making his larynx jump. "Is that your final choice?"

She straightened her back and looked him square in the eye.

"Yes."

"I authorize it," Cragen bellowed to the SWAT captain.

The officers moved to the perimeter of the hallway, allowing her to near the door. She fought to keep from shaking as she neared the area that the teacher had just ordered them to clear from.

"Mrs. Mayfield," she shouted through the door, then softening her voice, "my name's Sergeant Benson."

"Benson, eh?"

She was slightly confused. "Yes, Olivia Benson."

"Oh, okay. Well, I don't fucking care. Get yourself and all of them to go away!"

"Ma'am..." she said, even softer, "we can't do that."

"Well, why the hell not?"

"Because... those kids in there don't deserve this. Now we can all walk away from this if you just cooperate with me right now, okay?"

"I don't want to."

Olivia took a step closer to the door, not hiding behind the door frame any longer. "I know you don't, but you-"

She must've seen Olivia's shadow, because she screamed bloody murder. "Back away! Back away now!"

"Mrs. Mayfield! Calm down!"

Two shots were fired.

And that's all she remembered.

[][][][]

_Olivia, stay with me._

_Who's carrying me?_

_Is that blood? _

_Do you hear me?_

_Sirens. _

_Leon's on his way._

_Am I dead?_

_Mrs. Collins, you're in the hospital now. _

_She's hemorrhaging. _

_Ohhh..._

_Mrs. Collins, don't talk, we're going to take care of you._

_What the hell is that? Did they not put me under?_

_There's no time._

_[][][][]_

"Olivia, Olivia... can you hear me, sweetheart? They moved you to the ICU, but the doctors say you're going to be alright."

"Leon," Cragen said, coming slowly in through the door.

A teary Leon looked back to the door and tried to save his masculinity by wiping his tears on his sleeve. "Oh, hi, Don."

He turned back to Olivia, and Don walked slowly into the room. "She might not wake up right away. They had to do some pretty serious surgery. But she's not in a coma, which we're all very thankful for."

Leon kneeled beside Olivia's bed and picked up her hand. "Shot in the side?"

"Barely missed her lung. She... she got lucky."

There was a moment of pure silence in the room, besides the whirring of the IV machine. "How... how?"

Cragen chuckled silently, knowing exactly what his detective's concerned new husband was asking. "She stepped up. Volunteered."

Suddenly, a new look filled Leon's eyes. Rage. "You mean... she put herself in this situation _voluntarily?" _He peered back at Cragen, who just nodded. "Man..." he gave one of those pissed, breathy laughs that seemed to be common when dealing with Olivia's work. "Is it wrong to be pissed at her for this?"

Cragen sat quietly on a chair behind Leon, who was still squatting at Olivia's bedside, twirling her ring that was now slightly bloody.

"No. Actually, I probably would be too. I was."

Leon just nodded and let go of Olivia's hand momentarily, standing to stroke her hair and kiss her forehead. Cragen offered him another chair, which he accepted.

"Thanks."

"No problem." There was another silence as Cragen tried to read the conflicting love and rage on Leon's face.

"She went in there... knowing that we have an eight year old little girl on the way."

Don swallowed and nodded. "Yes, she did. And it was stupid." He considered his next words, not wanting to fuel his rage, but still wanting to cast some sense of reality on the situation. He knew Leon had every right to be upset.

"What's a guy to think when you do things like this, Olivia?" Leon asked softly, still stroking her hair.

"You know who she saved, Leon?"

Leon peered back at him, interested. "She saved people?"

Cragen nodded slowly. "The shooter fired two shots, one through the door into Olivia and one into her own head. If the SWAT team would've waited... she would've shot her entire class."

"How do you know that?" Leon asked, not wanting his curiosity to make him sound like an asshole. "

"She was bipolar. Crime scene investigators found a note. She had a plan. She was going to kill them all five minutes after Olivia knocked her off of her intended course of action."

Leon nodded and turned back to Olivia, stilling his hand. "How old were they?"

"They were all eight years old."

"Oh..." Leon said in realization, his voice cracking.

"Yeah."

There was another long pause as Leon felt his eyes stinging.

"She... she let her emotions get the best of her again, eh?" Leon smirked, sniffing at his newly formed tears.

Cragen chuckled back and rested a hand on Leon's shoulder. "That's what makes her the best I've got, son."

He smiled and patted Don's hand, still facing Olivia. "She's going to be a great mommy."

"She really is. And Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"I accidentally told the entire unit about the adoption when I was trying to talk Olivia out of this."

Leon looked back at him and smirked. "Pulling a guilt trip?"

"You've got it."

"That's one emotion she never buys into."

"Oh, she buys into it alright... but her determination always wins."

Leon looked at his wife once again with a new sense of pride. Leaning down to kiss her forehead, he wiped away one of his tears that had fallen on her cheek. "You're one stubborn pain in the ass sometimes, you know that, Liv?"

"She knows it, alright," Amaro's voice came from the door.

"Hey man," Leon said, walking over to Amaro and shoving him lightly with a smile, "you're supposed to be protecting my wife out there."

Nick put his hands up in surrender. "That was her own little stroke of genius right there. Or stupidity. Haven't decided which one yet."

"Probably both." All three heads turned to the door as Stabler popped in.

Leon went over and squatted at Olivia' bedside again. "Look, Livvy... you've got the four boys who love you more than anything else right here."

"She does."

"She really does."

"Unless she keeps pulling crap like this," Amaro added, making everyone laugh. "But she definitely does."

**Hope you liked it! And of course, she wakes up. But that's been done before. More happiness ahead.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This will be the last update for at least a couple days. I hope you like it.**

"Mrs. Collins, I am now starting the recording. Do you understand that this is a psychological evaluation that will be on file with the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau until you are terminated?"

"Yes," Olivia huffed. The woman was just reading off a script. She looked at the cold metal desk in front of her and the young, blonde psychologist behind it. She knew she would never be pleased with talking to anybody but Hwang, but Cragen had been very clear earlier: no eval, no work. Rubbing the side where she had been shot, she took a deep breath and prepared for an hour of hell.

"Alright, Sergeant Collins. Is that what you want to go by?"

"Collins is fine, it hasn't really caught on yet around the squad room. Benson's my maiden name- that's fine too. Whatever."

The young woman smiled. "How long have you been married?"

"A little under ten months now," Olivia began to smile, but then wiped it off. She didn't want to look happy for this woman, even though she knew she was being a little childish.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

She flipped on her spectacles, did a quick review of some paperwork in front of her, and began to get serious. "Can you please tell me why you are here today?"

"I'm doing a mandatory psych eval."

"Why was it mandated?"

"I was shot in my left side during a hostage situation last month."

"How long was your recovery?"

"I just returned from a two week break. Doctor's orders."

"And I see on record here that you won't be returning to work for another week, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And you've requested paid time off."

"Yes, I have."

"Why is that?" Olivia felt a little annoyed as the woman stopped writing things down and looked her in the eye for a response.

"Well, my husband's family is having a little retreat up in Maine. They invited us, and they were nice enough to give Leon and I their beach house for two days even after they leave. Just a vacation. It was planned and in SVU's calendar before this happened."

"Okay. And Leon is your husband, correct?"

"Correct."

"Mrs. Benson, how long have you worked for SVU?"

"Almost 14 years now."

"How do you feel about your current standing with SVU?"

Olivia was a little confused, but she gave it her best shot. "It's my family. I know by the records I should be burnt out by now, but I'm not. I love what I do and I don't intend to leave anytime soon."

"What does your future with the police department look like?"

"Isn't that in your notes?"

The psychologist shot her a glare and stopped the tape. "Mrs. Benson- I know your department in particular hates IAB, but this is by no means a conspiracy to get you out or anything crazy. It's just a psych eval. You were overdue anyway. Can you please just..."

Olivia gave a weak smile, "Of course I will, Ms..."

"Pilford. Leann. I'm really new here. Apparently there's a lot of hostility between IAB and the rest of the force that I wasn't really counting on."

"Yeah, well some of your older guys that have since retired tried to ruin my partnership a couple years ago. And then they benched my partner."

Dr. Pilford gave a wide eyed look. "I don't intend to do that today. Now..." she whispered quietly, "I won't tell them I stopped the tape if you don't."

Olivia laughed at the irony. "Okay, I'll answer it."

She pressed the button.

"I'm set to take my captain's job the Wednesday after I return from vacation."

"How do you feel about that?"

She sighed. "Ready. I'm 45, and I'm finally ready to start settling down, albeit a little later than what's traditional."

"What do you mean by settling down?"

"I work hectic hours right now. Not as bad as when I was still a second-grade detective, but still pretty crazy. I had no personal life back in the detective days. Now I have one, and I need a little more time. As my family life continues to expand, I'll need more time off. It's almost like a linear relationship."

The blonde smiled at her terminology. "How much time do you work a week right now?"

"Fifty-five hours on the schedule, but a lot of overtime and weekend calls. It probably gets close to 65."

"That's a lot."

"It's not terrible."

"Do you balance your personal life with that schedule?"

"Very well, actually."

"Can you give me an example of what a normal, balanced day looks like for you?"

"We- my husband and I- wake up at six, take the train to our places of work, I get into the squad room by seven, I work until seven or eight... my husband's usually home by that time and starts dinner, and we can enjoy the rest of the night in peace."

"Are you happy with that?"

"Very. It's the balance I've been looking for all of these years."

"What percentage of your days are 'balanced', would you say?"

"Probably about eighty."

The woman took a note and nodded her head.

"Back to the shooting- how have you been dealing with your recovery?"

"Well. I just stopped the pain medication about two days ago, so I've been feeling a little groggy. But I'm not suffering. Leon took some time off work and let his TA run his class."

"He's a teacher?"

"He teaches a graduate aeronautical engineering class at Columbia."

"So, you've had a smooth recovery?"

"Yes."

"On this next series of questions, Sergeant, you should be advised that your answers will not lead to any restrictions on your working capabilities. It is purely for your welfare. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

She looked back down at her script. "Have you been having nightmares or flashbacks since the incident?"

"No."

"How would you describe your overall mental state?"

Olivia thought. "Uhh... normal."

There was a slight pause as the doctor flipped through the notes in front of her. "Mrs. Collins, I understand that your actions at the time of your shooting were chosen voluntarily by you, correct?"

"Yes."

"So, you put yourself in danger electively?"

Olivia cleared her throat, thinking that this is where the drilling could begin. "Yes, but I was only doing what I thought would be best for the victims in that room. That's the way I like to do my job."

"Does your husband know that you made that decision alone?"

"Yes."

"How does he feel about it?"

"Eh, you know, he wasn't pleased. But he also doesn't really like to stress about what doesn't matter. Not that it didn't matter that I was shot- but you know what I mean-uhh... I lived. He... he talked to me about it a day or two after I was discharged and said that I really should be more careful especially-" She cut herself off before she volunteered any information.

"I have Captain Cragen's statement, Mrs. Collins. It's okay that you were emotionally drawn into the line of fire due to... personal circumstances."

Olivia nodded.

"How did you respond to your husband's concerns?"

"I got a little defensive. I'm not really used to sharing my professional decisions with anybody. It'll take some getting used to. In the end, though, Leon didn't think it was appropriate to criticize me for action he admits he knows absolutely nothing about." Olivia took a breath and smiled, "and he said it would be rude to yell at a shooting victim."

Leann stifled a laugh so it wouldn't appear on the tape, and Olivia returned a smile.

"Do you think that conversation will affect your future decisions in critical situations like that?"

"Maybe a little. The file probably told you I have a child on the way in March- three months. I'm not pregnant of course, but we're adopting a beautiful little eight year old girl," Olivia smirked. "It's going to change everything, and I'm prepared for that. Honestly, it probably will affect my risk taking. What this has made me realize is that I have other people who love me now and would hate to see anything happen to me. It took me a while to get used to that."

The blonde made a note. "Do you think that your rough childhood has played a role in your acceptance of that?"

"Wholeheartedly," Olivia responded, nodding her head sadly. "I'm just so thankful for what I have now. But I've accepted that it's going to take a while for my brain to rewire itself to put infinite trust in people."

"Who do you trust right now?"

"My squad. Every one of them. They've earned it. And my family. It's not that I don't trust people, it's that it takes me longer to establish that trust."

She nodded. "Do you find that after cases like these you tend to shut down?"

"I used to. Not anymore."

"How recently did that change?"

"Honestly, when I fell in love again."

"Again?"

Olivia sighed. _Shit. _"Uh... I was in love with my partner, Elliot Stabler, for a very long time. You guys really busted me on that," Olivia smirked, making the blonde shoot a smile back. "After the events of last year, though, I moved on. Now, he's taken the role of my very best friend. Uh..." Olivia swallowed thickly, "I had a real rough patch in the time period between losing Elliot and finding Leon. That was when I'd shut down. I'm good again though."

The next question took a lot of consideration. "Do you ever worry that you'll hit that rough patch again?"

Olivia could deduce what she was really asking. "I'll never worry. Leon's in this for the long run."

**Short and sweet. This woman might eventually become Olivia's friend- watch for it. Next up- the family retreat! And then two full days of just Leon, Olivia, and the beach! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not in the mood to write a full, eventful chapter, so I'm just going to ramble :) And also, I've kind of realized I've been doing the AU story deal all wrong. It's going too fast. I'm going to start slowing it way down, more details, more rambling, more updates. Sometimes those chapters are the best kind. And if you're into my Nick/Olivia story, I haven't exactly made any decisions on that one... so you might be on standby for a while. Sorry. I, too, work in a male dominated field and I can't bring myself to write the work relationship story. Anyway- here you go.**

"Leon, can you focus for _one_ minute? Please."

Olivia was getting quite frustrated. The train from Manhattan to the coast of Maine left in under two hours. The contents of her bag? Only her toiletries. What was her husband doing? Gluing his face to one of those ESPN "celebration fail" documentaries on their bedroom television.

He turned his head around slowly from where he lay on the bed, awkwardly crammed beside her open suitcase, and smiled.

"Do you think this is funny?"

He put his hands up in mock surrender and smirked. "Hey, Livvy, I'm not the one who chose to pack at the last minute."

"Don't you Livvy me," she said, feeling the rage bubble up inside of her. "And sorry I didn't have a lot of free time, I've been a little busy playing phone tag with the adoption agent- because Mr. Engineer can't work a phone- _on top _of keeping New York City safe."

Leon sat up and flipped the TV off, still smiling.

"You know, that smile really pisses me off sometimes," she muttered, quickly folding some shirts and stuffing them in the bottom of the bag. Leon kept looking at her with that goofy smile. "What, do I have something in my teeth? Take a picture, it'll last longer!"

"You're cute when you're frazzled," he said, scooting off the opposite side of the bed and standing up.

"Now's not the time, Leon. We've got to be down at the station in fucking Midtown in forty minutes. The house isn't locked up and ready to go, either. Maybe you should do that," she muttered, clamoring into the adjoining bathroom and opening and shutting drawers.

"Jesus, Liv, the biggest thing we need to 'secure' is a potted plant."

She cracked a little smile at that one, but of course, she made sure he didn't see it. "Are you going to help or are you going to be a wise guy?"

"What do you need help with, baby?"

"I've packed shirts. Can you lay out some of my other stuff?"

"Anything in particular?"

"Something that will cover my body and can be packed in under fifteen minutes- that's my criteria."

"Very good. Creative control, that's what we engineers like."

"Don't get crazy, please," she smiled, emerging from the bathroom.

"Aw, there's that Livvy grin I love so much," he chuckled, walking over towards the dresser in the corner.

Olivia rolled her eyes and awkwardly scraped past him to get to her closet, cursing herself for choosing the shoebox in Manhattan with no floor space to speak of instead of a cheaper, more spacious place in Queens. Then again, she did marry Leon, and with his level of productivity, a home in Queens would mean they would _never _be able to make a train out of Manhattan. Mid-squeeze, she realized that he was wearing his suggestive smirk.

"Getting fresh, Liv?" He let out a sorry attempt at a growl.

She smirked. Leon was too dorky to be sexy in the stereotypical sense of the word. "You wish." Wandering over to her closet, she groaned and started tossing out random capris and shoes onto the bed. "That'll do, right? Eight pairs of pants?"

"Well, it's a week stay with a laundry machine in-house."

"Score," she said, rushing back to the bed to fold her stuff. Eyeing what Leon had picked, she dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes, huffing with annoyance. "Really, Leon?"

Leon just giggled at his handiwork. "You asked me to pick."

"I told you not to get crazy," she said, picking up the slinky collection of nearly all lace that he had picked for her. "You know, as much as you'd like it, I can't wear only underwear all week. This is way more than a week's worth anyway."

"Just thought you might like some variety," he said, raising his eyebrows.

Olivia just chuckled and threw it all in her suitcase. "Play your cards right, Leon, play your cards right."

Leon raised his eyebrows even higher, "Ohohohoh, I will." He neared her teasingly, earning a swat on the chest and a gentle push away.

"Focus. Now, can you please pick at least one normal bra for me?"

He stuck his tongue out in mock protest and tossed it from the dresser into her hands. She shot him a warning glare and she swore she could see him wince. "It's okay, you're still hot in it. Black really makes your boobs... um... you know," he stammered, putting his hands near his chest awkwardly to try to illustrate his point, "look... good."

"Nice save, and so eloquently put" she smirked, neatly stacking her shoes against the side of her suitcase. Stepping back and putting her hands up delicately, she examined her cargo. "Is that it?"

"Pants, shirts, underwear, swimsuits, toiletries... do you have your flat iron and all that stuff?"

"Everything from the bathroom is in there."

"That should be good."

"Final answer?"

"That's a lot of pressure."

"You flew jets. Final answer?"

"Sure."

Olivia glared at his half assed answer. "Okay, I trust you." She smirked at his discomfort and zipped up her suitcase dramatically. "Now let's hope I don't end up looking like a clown all week."

Leon put his hands gently on her shoulders and straightened her so she was standing in front of him, only inches from his face. "You'd be a beautiful clown."

"Shut up."

"No."

She smiled at his defiance and pecked him. "Now come on, let go of your death grip on me before I have to kick your ass. We have a train to catch."


	7. Chapter 7

**I needed some more Stabler. Here you go.**

"No, this way, Leon."

"Are you sure about that?"

She tugged his arm to the left and rolled her eyes. "I've only lived in this city my entire life. Opposed to your four years... I'm right."

"Yes, honey, of course," he said, smiling and pushing his tongue into his cheek. Olivia gave him a smirk back. "I'll let you dominate me, I forgot you're a little addicted to Fifty Shades," he said a little louder than he should have.

"Ha, see, there it is," she said, pointing to a train sign.

"Well, move a little faster, detective. We should be boarding in ten minutes," he said, looking at his watch.

The two continued at a brisk pace down the crowded street. Olivia got some annoyed looks as her luggage nearly tripped some people up.

"I told you you shouldn't have used the rolling luggage."

"Well, excuse me, it's the only one big enough," she spat as lovingly as possible. "Somebody forced me to pack more... items than I needed."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Those items?"

Olivia smirked back, "the ones you picked out for me."

He chuckled. "Please, they probably take up even less surface area in your bag than they do on your body." With that remark, he squeezed her hip, making her yelp a little bit. She laughed and then bit it back.

"Control your libido. Wouldn't want them to feel anything... sticking out in a patdown if you needed one," Olivia replied with equal wit.

Leon gagged, not having a response. "You have a terrible mind."

She smiled and flipped her sunglasses off as they entered the underground terminal. "That's what happens when you're surrounded by sex twenty-four seven."

"All day, every day? Do you have a side job you want to tell me about?"

"Oh shut up," she laughed. "Come on, hurry up, we've got..." she looked at her watch, "shit, five minutes!"

Leon laughed as she desperately tried to jog in the less-than-comfortable shoes she had chosen for the nice dinner they'd be going to upon arrival in Maine. "Let's hope you don't wear those shoes to work."

"I could outrun you any day, Collins," she said, resorting to a quick walk as Leon put a hand on her lower back to steady her uneven jogging. They passed by an NYPD recruiting kiosk in the middle of all the chaos and she tried to block work out of her mind.

"Be one of New York City's finest," the obvious rookie officer called out. Olivia knew how pissed off the rookies assigned to recruiting duty got. It's not what they signed up for, and by the tone of the officer's voice, he knew it. "You interested, sir?" he asked, even though Olivia was nearest to the kiosk.

Olivia and Leon both spat at the sexism. Not being able to help herself, she turned back against the pulling of Leon on her arm in the opposite direction. "I've been on the force since '83."

"Really?" he asked before realizing that showing such surprise was a little insensitive.

Before she started screaming, Leon figured it was a good idea to pull her away. "Come on, Livvy, train's right over there." He shot a smile at the poor rookie who was nearly a victim of his wife's wrath before whispering to her gently, "remember, this week, you're not Sergeant Benson."

She groaned and gave a little smile. "That sounds so good."

"I bet," he said, patting her shoulder as they got into the turnstile line and showed their tickets, hurrying into the train that was already signaling that it was bound to leave. "You've been working your ass off lately."

"You're telling me. I could use a good back massage," she commented slyly, taking a seat on the more spacious interstate train.

"Well, we've got a whole beach weekend in front of us, so you might just get your wish."

Olivia rested her head back against the headrest and moaned, smiling. "Do you know how happy I am right now?"

Leon smiled sweetly as she closed her eyes, reaching across the table separating them and taking her hand. "You deserve it."

The train clicked to a start and began moving out of the terminal and into daylight. Strips of light flashed across Olivia's face, and Leon took the opportunity to admire the peace that he rarely ever saw out of her.

"How much longer are you going to stare at me?"

"Until I've had enough. You're beautiful."

She smirked and opened her eyes, letting go of his hand and pulling her laptop from her backpack that sat beside her.

"Did your mother never teach you to say thank you?" Leon teased.

"My mother was an alcoholic," Olivia joked slightly seriously before raising her tumbler of coffee to her lips. Leon had made it for her right before they went out the door in an effort to relax her and make her feel at ease. If she had learned one thing in their time together, it was that Leon was an expert at doing the little things that made her happier almost every day.

"Your sense of humor..."

"Dry, I know." She took a big gulp of her coffee, widened her eyes, and swallowed before frantically searching for the water bottle she knew she had in her backpack.

Leon smirked. "I never seem to get your coffee right, do I?"

Olivia took a swig of water and smiled. "It tastes fine... but..." she closed the lid and looked at the bottom of the cup, "you chose the cold temperature cup. The one that keeps things cold."

"There's a difference?"

Olivia nodded and smiled.

"I haven't learned the intricacies of your coffee routine yet."

"There's a certain level of expertise that only a detective can ever have, don't worry about it Professor," she smirked as he hung his head, dejected.

"I'm sorry, Liv. You'd think I'd know by now."

She patted his hand across the table and laughed. "Most men wouldn't even bother making the coffee."

He smiled a little bit at that as she flipped open her computer and began to flip through emails.

"Those aren't police emails, are they?"

"Of course not. Unfortunately, my personal inbox is overflowing with probably three years worth of neglected messages. Including... this gem." Her jaw dropped as she flipped the screen around to face Leon. "Did you see this?"

"No, I never pay attention to my sister's emails."

Olivia smiled and let her jaw drop a little bit. "I've talked to Elliot, but I didn't know they had gotten so serious." She flipped the screen around and let Leon take a peek. Attached to the email was a picture of Elliot, Melinda, Maureen, Kathleen, and Lizzie out on the town, probably in one of those posh West End restaurants.

Leon smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Meeting the family, eh? How long has it been?"

"Well, let's see... they met at our wedding and started seriously dating on our quasi-work-delayed honeymoon," Leon smirked at that, remembering their devastation at finding out they wouldn't be able to get simultaneous time off until four months after the wedding. "So... it's been about six months."

"Have you asked Elliot about it?"

"I have, but he always just has the same answer, you know, 'it's good'," Leon chuckled as Olivia mocked Elliot in the typical man voice. She even had his mannerisms down. "Why, has your sister said anything?"

"She told me once she thought things were getting serious, but she's been saying that since the eighth grade."

Olivia chuckled. "You know, Elliot doesn't get his kids involved unless he means business."

"Which ones are these?" Leon asked, pointing to the now women on the screen.

She smirked in mock disappointment and Leon just shrugged. "This one," she said, gesturing to a pretty twenty-something right next to Melinda, "this is Maureen. Very bright. She graduated from Hudson about three years ago summa cum laude."

"What does she do?"

"She went back for her masters." Olivia moved her finger to a slightly taller, lanky twenty year old. "And this is Kathleen. She's a sweetheart, but a real rebel just like her father." She smiled widely when she got a glimpse of Lizzie. She had really grown. "And this... is Lizzie. She has a twin brother named Dickie, real good soccer player. I believe she'll be a sophomore in high school, either that or a junior."

Leon nodded and smiled. "Doesn't he have five kids?"

"Yeah, Dickie and Eli- his youngest- aren't in the picture."

"How old's his youngest?"

"I think seven."

He blew a raspberry in surprise, widening his eyes, and Olivia smirked mischievously.

"Yeah, the timing wasn't great, but he's a real sweetie."

"Do they ever visit their mom?"

Olivia shook her head bitterly, turning her laptop back around to check more emails. "No, uh... she walked out on them after Elliot got diagnosed with PTSD." She hung her head a little, making Leon concerned. He reached out and took her hand again.

"I'm sorry, Liv, did I cross a line?"

She smiled and shook her head. "It's just... I've had that before, you know that. It's so tough, and I know Elliot's still in a bit of a rough place. It wasn't a good time for his wife to leave him."

Leon nodded in understanding.

"I'm glad he has Melinda though. I mean, lord, I haven't seen that smile in quite a while. I haven't seen his _kids_ smile like that in quite a while," Olivia said with a smile of her own.

He smiled at her from across the table. "I can't wait for you to be a mommy."

She returned a soft smile and just patted his hand. She was snapped out of her reverie by a dinging noise coming from her computer.

"What was that?"

Olivia laughed. "Stabler got on the chat thing. I didn't know he knew how to work a computer."

"What about you, there, Dopey, do you know how to work it?"

She kicked him under the table and started sucking on a lollipop that she had in her bag. "I got a B- in typing, thank you very much," she spat through a full mouth. Leon smirked.

"What's lover boy saying?"

"I'm going to ask him about it."

11:15 am- _**Hey Liv.**_

_Hey El! I have some questions for you!_

_**Oh, god. Can I plead the fifth or have you gone back to your illegal tactics?**_

_You shouldn't even have to ask that question. Now, why haven't you been keeping me updated about you and Melinda?_

_**I have! She put you on that email. **_

_I got that, it was adorable, by the way. But I had no clue it had gotten that serious!_

_**Elliot Stabler is always a very serious, romantic man.**_

_I'll be giving you the bill for the coffee I just spit all over the train. Now really, why haven't you been telling me?_

_**What do you want to know?**_

_Like, when did she meet your kids? And why only the girls?_

_**She met them all about three weeks ago. Last week Maureen called a 'girls plus Elliot' dinner at some place she and her friends like in Tribeca. When she started calling me Elliot, I don't know.**_

_Ask the gray hair on your head._

_**Ha. Ha. They really hit it off, those two, over academia. **_

_Something you'd know nothing about._

_**My point exactly. **_

_What do Lizzie and Kathleen think about it?_

_**Kathleen and Melinda bonded over their short, thankfully expunged criminal records. Go figure.**_

_Hey, whatever clicks._

_**Yeah... right. Lizzie just likes that she has a woman around again. She's always been a little more quiet, but I think she'd tell me if she disapproved.**_

_Of course she would, she's your daughter._

_**You're just the joke lady today, aren't you?**_

_I'm in a good mood, Stabler, don't ruin it._

_**Aye aye. I feel like I'm back in the Marines.**_

_Don't give yourself that much credit, those running shoes of yours probably haven't seen any action in months._

_**Get ready, Liv, when that little one gets here, you're going to wish you had time for a run.**_

_I'll take the kid over a two mile run any day._

_**And that's why you're going to be a good mom.**_

_I'm pretty sure your sperm count just dropped significantly._

_**What, because I paid my best friend a compliment?**_

_I took it, swigged it, and I'm ready to spit it out. _

_**She's going to be spending time with her Uncle Stabler though, right?**_

_As long as you don't corrupt her, she's all yours. _

_**Eli's going to be so excited to have a cousin his age. **_

_Wow, I hadn't thought of that before._

_**I was always the smart partner.**_

_You wish._

_**Did you take the eleven o'clock train?**_

_Yeah, nearly missed it. _

_**We're taking the nine o'clock train tomorrow.**_

_Wait... what?_

_**Surprise! **_

She looked up from her computer screen, gasped, and smiled, "Leon..."

**Cliffhanger! Ha- don't worry, it's not going to get awkward. And they'll still get their two private days at the beach. Unless something comes up... (don't worry, even I don't know what I mean by that yet)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Man, sorry I've been a bad updater. I've kind of been dead on ideas. Anyway, we left off with a big surprise! Elliot's going to be with the Collins family on vacation for a day or two! How is that going to blow over?**

"How long is the drive to your parents' place?" Olivia impatiently wiped some hair from her face after the train had stuck it there with its muggy misery. Luckily, the cool air inside of the Maine station helped to alleviate some of her discomfort. Nothing sounded worse right then than a long car ride into the middle of nowhere. She was a city girl, and the sun was already beginning to set, not to mention they were still hours away from some swanky dinner with the in laws she hadn't seen in over a year.

"Getting impatient already, city slicker?"

Olivia scowled at him and readjusted the neckline of her cotton maxi dress that Amanda had convinced her to pick up at a funky shop in Chelsea. The two had actually become good friends, that is, when Olivia wasn't mocking her accent or treating her like a rookie. "Just answer me, Leon."

"It's about an hour drive to the restaurant, and from there it's only twenty minutes or so back to their place. Just relax, enjoy the scenery." He hooked an arm around her shoulders, adding to her sticky discomfort.

"Leon, stop."

"What's wrong with you? You're grouchy."

"I'm just hot and sticky, I don't want your skin plastered to my shoulders."

"Just wait."

Leon gave her some space as they walked through the automatic doors of the train station. He watched her face as the air, that bordered on cold at this time of the evening, hit her skin that wasn't covered by her summer dress.

"Jesus, I thought this was a beach vacation!"

"It is. It warms up during the day. Now, are you going to be grouchy all vacation or are you going to take this opportunity to piss it out now?"

It was then that she realized he was right. "Sorry... I'm not used to vacation."

He smiled and took off his jacket, letting her slip inside it with an appreciative sigh. "It's going to be fun."

"Yeah, except Elliot's going to be here."

"You don't want him here?"

"I mean, he's my best friend, but I don't like surprises. And I kind of wanted some time alone with you."

"Well, you'll get a lot of that. Remember, we have the house to ourselves starting Friday."

Olivia whined and snuggled into him, "I know."

He smirked, refusing to return her hug in mock frustration. "You know, you're quite bipolar today."

"You're a douche."

"I rest my case."

Olivia smirked and looked at the empty street in front of the station. "What are we doing just standing here?"

"Waiting for a rental car. I paid some chump to drive it up for us. Perks of being a frequent flyer."

"I see." She buried her head deeper into his chest.

"You alright?"

"I'm cold."

"You're supposed to be a New Yorker."

"I had just adjusted to the heat..."

"I don't think it works that way, love."

"Stop being a scientist."

"Grouchy..." Leon smirked and pried her arms from his waist. "Why don't you just zip up the jacket?"

"It'd ruin my outfit," Olivia laughed. "I'm actually trying to look like something other than a detective. Don't mess with it."

"Hold on," Leon said softly, prying her arms from his waist and leaning down to get into his bag.

"What are you looking for?"

He unzipped the zipper and peeled through the layers of sloppily folded clothes. He revealed a gray pullover sweater, which was one of her favorites. He had argued with her while they were packing her bag, insisting that it would be useful to bring along. She, however, fought just as hard and refused to put it in her bag, somehow thinking she knew better.

"You packed it?"

"Hate to say I told you so."

She smirked and pulled the sweater over her head frantically. "You got anything else in there, you crossdresser?"

"No," he spat back with a smile, zipping up his bag and returning to her side, looping his arm around her waist. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Mmm... you married me."

"I know I did," he said, kissing the top of her head and watching the small blue car pull up to the station. "Now go put your stuff in the trunk, wifey."


End file.
